Bringing Chemistry to Life

From Matter to Man

R. J. P. Williams and J. J. R. Fraústo da Silva

This book describes the long journey from formless inanimate matter to the arrival of life as we know it, explaining the nature and the logic of the physical-chemical processes involved. It stresses the limitations of reductionist analyses of these processes as complexity increases and novel properties emerge. And, in particular, the authors develop the idea that it was chemical change of the environment that allowed evolution of life to occur and that this evolution required successive addition of new message systems and information codes that work cooperatively with earlier systems.

Bringing Chemistry to Life

From Matter to Man

R. J. P. Williams and J. J. R. Fraústo da Silva

Description

In this book, the authors describe the long journey from formless inanimate matter to man, explaining the nature and the logic of the physical-chemical processes involved. It stresses the limitations of reductionism analyses of these processes as complexity increases and novel properties emerge. And, in particular, the authors develop the idea that it was chemical change of the environment that allowed evolution of life to occur and that this evolution required successive addition of new message systems and information codes connected, compatible, and cooperative with previous extant systems. In doing so, the authors analyze the relationship between chemical element content and speciation both in inanimate and living systems in terms of fundamental units and variables or composite (derived) units and variables. Through such analysis, the authors conclude that chemical speciation is very much a matter of chemical cooperation (order versus disorder) while biological speciation requires cooperative flow of chemicals and energy (organization versus disorder). They argue that chance mutations of DNA are far too simple to provide a basis for evolution and biological diversity, though it is a representation of such diversity. It is the survival strength of systems of molecular machinery which separate and generate living species. In the final chapter, they analyze the effect of man's activities on the present global and local ecosystems and speculate on the possible nature of the emergent properties to be expected from an ever-increasing complexity of information based modern societies.

Bringing Chemistry to Life

From Matter to Man

R. J. P. Williams and J. J. R. Fraústo da Silva

Table of Contents

PrefaceUnits of Energy and Work and the Values of Some Physical ConstantsAcknowledgements1. The Development of Man's Ideas Concerning Nature2. Forces and Related Energies3. Electrons in Atoms and their Energetics4. Order in and Stability of Atom and Component Associations5. The Balance Between Order and Disorder6. Dilute Solutions and Order-Disorder Balance7. Systems with Boundaries: Compartments8. Change and Its Control9. The Evolution of Earth10. Manfred Eigen11. Early Life: Anaerobic Prokaryotes12. The Development of Anaerobic Organisation: From Prokaryotes to Eukaryotes13. Lucretius14. The Coming of Multicellular Organisms15. The Evolution of Man and His Chemistry16. Survey and ConclusionFurther ReadingIndex

Bringing Chemistry to Life

From Matter to Man

R. J. P. Williams and J. J. R. Fraústo da Silva

Reviews and Awards

"Each chapter is well documented and contains useful physical, chemical and biological data...This book represents a valuable tool for students..."--European Review